Prince William praised the Grenfell Tower firefighters at the Mirror’s Pride of Britain awards.
Attending for the first time, he also paid tribute to the survivors: “It’s truly inspiring how you all rallied to help.”
The prince honoured firefighters and community members who showed true bravery over the horror of the Grenfell Tower blaze.
He presented the This Morning Emergency Services Award to crews who risked their lives to enter the inferno that engulfed the 24-storey tower block earlier this year.
It is a cause close to his heart after he served as an RAF search and rescue pilot from 2010 until 2013 and an air ambulance pilot from 2015 to 2017.
William urged people to take a moment to remember the work emergency services do.
And he told the firefighters: “Many people forget the daily grind you go through on a daily basis.”
He also presented a Special Recognition Award to volunteers, community members and people from the Grenfell United residents group.
In an emotional speech, Prince William commended their “hard work and community spirit”, adding: “I’m just so sorry that such an awful event ever occurred.
“It’s truly inspiring how you rallied round and helped each other.
“I can only imagine how horrendously difficult it’s been for you all. Everyone needs to know what community spirit in truly, truly devastating times is really about.”
Having recently returned to the site of the tragedy, the royal told the community: “You’ve been a true example of humanity for what you have done. I could not be prouder of the community.”
On June 14 the blaze raged through the tower in North Kensington, West London. Some 250 firefighters and 70 fire engines were involved in the 60-hour battle to control the blaze, as well as 20 ambulances.
At least 80 people died, though the true number of victims will not be known until at least next year.
Two days after the fire, William joined his grandmother the Queen on a visit to the Westway Sports Centre, where survivors had taken shelter.
He caught the nation’s heart when he was pictured hugging Fatima Jafari, 78, whose husband Ali Yawar Jafari, 82, was killed in the fire.
In September, William and his brother Prince Harry then visited the Support4Grenfell community hub near the charred tower, where they met with survivors, volunteers and charity workers as well as local school children who were affected by the blaze.
And they recently visited the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in Westbourne Park, one of the organisations overseeing the first relief effort for Grenfell survivors.
It helped distribute donations of food, clothing and equipment to survivors in the immediate aftermath of the blaze and also set up initiatives to help heal the community’s emotional scars.
Joining William to present the firefighters with their award, This Morning presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby praised their bravery for running towards Grenfell “while everyone else was running away”.
Phillip said the crews had “gone above and beyond the call of duty”, while Holly called them “true, true heroes”.
The firefighters took to the stage to a standing ovation from the audience, who wiped away tears after a moving video replayed the horrors of Grenfell.
London fire chief Dany Cotton said the support from the tower’s residents had helped the crews come to terms with what they had been through.
She added:
“It is the one thing that has kept us going.”
Shahin Sadafi, chair of the residents group Grenfell United, said the British public were “truly the Pride of Britain” but warned that victims and survivors had a “long road ahead”.
With Prime Minister Theresa May looking on, Shahin pleaded with the audience: “I ask you today, we need your support for justice.”
William also paid tribute to victims of the Manchester Arena bombing and the medics who worked tirelessly to save them.
In his first appearance at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards in association with TSB, the royal presented a Special Recognition Award for the teams in eight hospitals across the city.
Suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed 22 people at the Ariana Grande concert in May.
Praising medics who treated victims, William said: “I think they are all incredible brave. We so grateful to have people like you in this country.
“The courage and the spirit that Manchester showed is a huge example to all of us.”
Earlier, at the start of the ceremony, William sang along with the choir who opened the star-studded ceremony then donned an Aston Villa scarf as youngster Moin Younis, also a fan of the football club, picked up his award for Teenager of Courage.
At a Royal drinks reception before the awards, the prince had chatted with Moin, who suffers from agonising condition Epidermolysis, which causes his skin to blister and bleed with the slightest knock.
The 17-year-old said after meeting the prince: “He was amazing, the fact that he knows such a lot about me. It means that the stuff I do does go out there.
“We were talking about Aston Villa, because we’re both Aston Villa fans, and how they need to improve.
"I thought he was one of the nicest guys ever.”
Moin added: “He looks like a very quiet guy but when you get to meet him he’s just one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, honestly.
“Him coming here tonight is going to keep me going.”
William also chatted with X Factor judges Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne at the reception, and met “Daredevil Dilys”, Dilys Price, a fearless 85-year-old from Cardiff who jumps out of planes to raise money for charity.
